LOS ALAMITOS : Torres Remembers His Special Laz

Moments after winning his first stakes race in Saturday night’s Mt. Harvard Handicap aboard the longshot Bailarin, 19-year-old jockey Hector Torres paused and remembered the late trainer Laz Barrera, who helped the Puerto Rican begin his American career.

“I was like his son,” Torres said. “He took care of me. The day after he died, I won my first race. All I have now is because of him.”

Torres came to the United States in April of 1990, and began his riding career last spring. He won 14 races at the recently concluded Hollywood Park meeting and has four victories at Del Mar. At the Orange County Racing Fair, he is third in the standings, behind Adalberto Lopez and Antonio Castanon.

“I’ve been getting better and better every day,” said Torres, who is from Coamo, Puerto Rico. “Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar have the best jockeys in the world. If I do something wrong, they correct me.”

Torres’ first stakes victory will not soon be forgotten. Bailarin, a 4-year-old Texas-bred gelding, paid $178.40 to win, the highest win mutuel in stakes history at the Orange County Racing Fair. Bailarin could have been claimed in May for $10,000, and in the last two months has won three races against quarter horses, including a handicap on July 5.

“This is the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden in my life,” Torres said. “The trainer (Rodney Hart) told me he’d won some nice races in New Mexico. He said warm him up and get him out of there. (The start) helped me a lot. He just went on by himself.”

Bailarin had a three-length lead on the backstretch and won the $51,290 race by a length.

Torres grew up involved in racing at Enriquito Ubarri’s farm in Puerto Rico, where his father is the farm foreman. Torres got his first exposure to U.S. racing when Ubarri took him to Florida to work with young horses. Ubarri was also instrumental in connecting Torres with Barrera, the Hall of Fame trainer who died in April.

While working at Barrera’s barn last year, Torres met an idol, Puerto Rican jockey Julio Garcia, who also is riding at the Orange County Fair and has befriended Torres. Garcia finished second in the Mt. Harvard Handicap aboard Paisano Pete.

“All my life I’ve wanted to be a jockey,” Torres said. “A young Angel Cordero or Julio Garcia.”

Haunting won his first stakes race Friday night in the $50,830 Walter Knott Handicap, capping a big week for Lopez, who is on pace to break the record for the most victories by a jockey at the Orange County Fair.

Haunting, who was fourth in the Hollywood Oaks on June 23, beat a field of 3-year-old fillies by five lengths and ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 3/5.

“I think she was a better filly,” Lopez said. “I was afraid she wasn’t going to handle the turns, but she handled it OK.”

Through Saturday, Lopez had 13 victories and nine seconds in 47 mounts. He was six victories ahead of Torres and Antonio Castanon. Last year, Lopez was second to David Flores in the Orange County jockey standings with 15 victories, despite a suspension. If he continues at this year’s pace, he will break Flores’ record of 36 victories, which was set at the Fair last year.

Lopez, who rode three winners on July 29, is spending his afternoons at Del Mar and his evenings at Los Alamitos and has enjoyed an increase in business, thanks to his success.

“I’ve started to get some more calls down there,” said the 26-year-old Lopez, referring to Del Mar. (Winning races here) has helped me a lot.”

Lopez is one of several jockeys who race at both tracks. The riders are shuttled by limousine and arrive at Los Alamitos in time for the first thoroughbred race.

“The good part is you don’t have to drive,” Lopez said.

Trials were held last Friday night for the California Sires Cup Derby, a $50,433 race for 3-year-old quarter horses Aug. 16 at 400 yards.

The Derby has drawn four stakes winners and trial winners Ramtac and Fusion Illusion. Ramtac won the first of two trials and was making his first start since November. His time of 20.11 seconds was the fastest of all qualifiers and impressed jockey Roman Figueroa, since the gelding was winless in eight starts last year.

“He’s always had a lot of potential and is a much improved horse,” Figueroa said.

Last year, Ramtac, who is owned by Ramon Arroyo, qualified for three finals, but finished no better than eighth. One of his defeats was inflicted by Blisterin, the favorite in the second division of Friday’s trials, who finished fourth in his first start since Jan. 26 behind Fusion Illusion.

Fusion Illusion is one of three fillies who qualified for the final and won her trial by a nose in 20.20 seconds after a poor start.

“Just as they kicked it, she went to the back of the gate and then hopped (in the air),” jockey Joe Meier said. “Seeing those horses in front of her, she really got to running.”

Along with Ramtac, Blisterin and Fusion Illusion, the other qualifiers are Tolls Touch, Resolutions, Miss Strikin Jet, Bobbies Reb, Mr Shaman, Easy N Merry and Splitsville.

Los Alamitos Notes

Through six nights of the 18-night meeting, attendance and handle figures are behind last year. At Los Alamitos, an average of 5,425 have wagered $975,500, figures that are 4.0% and 5.7% less than last year. Including off-track, the numbers are 6,460 fans wagering $1,173,314, 3.8% and 3.0% less than last year.

Several stakes races are scheduled for this Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday’s card is highlighted by the $25,000 Calyx Invitational Handicap and the $35,000 Carillo Stakes. The Calyx is an 870-yard race for quarter horses and thoroughbreds that has drawn a strong list of nominees. Griswold, who won three 870-yard races last winter and holds the world record of 43.99 seconds for the distance, is the high weight at 126 pounds. Shake Six, who won two 870 stakes at Bay Meadows, is weighted at 121 with Bailarin, the Mt. Harvard Handicap winner, who according to Hart is not expected to run. Also nominated are Speedy Lunch, Baychaino, Leading Effort, Special Elan, Windsong Maria and Damon Cosmos.

Also on Friday is the Carillo Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 4 1/2 furlongs. Leading the list of probables is L’Tov, who was second in the Solano County Juvenile Stakes on July 19, and Too Soon To Look, who was sixth in the Hollywood Landaluce Stakes on July 6.

Saturday’s feature is the $50,000-added Orange County Derby at 1 1/16 miles. The nominees include Pillaring, who was fourth in two Hollywood Park stakes: the Swaps Stakes on July 7, and the Silver Screen Handicap on June 16. Nijinksy’s Prince, who won two Golden Gate stakes earlier this year, is also nominated. The Gold Coast Express Invitational Handicap, a $25,000-added 400-yard stake, is also scheduled for Saturday.

Through Monday night, Juan Garcia and Alfredo Marquez are tied for the trainers’ lead with four victories apiece. Marquez has started only 11 horses and also had three seconds and a third.